Reviews by SisuPride:

This beer looked a lot like a cola when poured - to complete the look all I needed was ice. Very small to nonexistent head. It smelled a little like Killians red to me for some reason which I liked. The mouth feel was dryer than expected with too much carbonation. Overall an OK beer - was hoping the caramel would be a little stronger. (336 characters)

Got this in the holiday variety 12-pack,thought it would be alot better than it was.Poured a dark/amber color with with a medium tan colored head.True to the name caramel was the dominant smell I got almost overpowering,the taste like the smell was very caramelly with a little chocolate/earthy tone but I would have liked more balance there.A good try but not one of the best porters I have had. (396 characters)

Starting with the usual. Very dark pour, although plenty of light coming through. Head disappeared so quickly I never got a chance to check the color out. It totally disappeared in about 30 seconds. Those two features brought the appearance numbers down.

The caramel smell is quite overwhelming. I was expecting hints of caramel, not a huge dousing of it. I might as well have a glass of caramel. I dont pick up anything else in the smell, caramel covers all. I dont know what to say about the taste except bleh! There is very little to this beer except for what seems like caramel flavoring added to an average dark lager. The caramel which is in here tastes overly sugary, not like a good toasty caramel. Mouthfeel is relatively thin, not like any other porter Ive had. Im having issues drinking any more than is necessary to write this review due to my stomach beginning to feel strange from all the sweetness. (shudder!!!)

I had high hopes for this. I was imaging a creamy full bodied porter with undertones of caramel coming into presence at the end. But there was none of that. (1,101 characters)

I'm not sure what they were trying to do with this beer, but it didn't work. It started out OK, dark brown color, small tan head. Not much aroma, just a little sweet. A porter taste, coffee/chocolate, but the damn caramel (or whatever it was, I couldn't tell for sure) kept intruding. It was medium bodied. Not a beer I'd want a lot of. (336 characters)

And here, ladies and gentlemen, we have the Caramel Porter. Pleasantly dark ruby in color, with the patented Anti-Rapapoda Aroma of diacetyl and buttered caramel popcorn, guaranteed to have at least one resident of the five boroughs head go *POP*

Starts with a buttery, diacetyl hit far beyond anything Alan Pugsley's ever had in his wildest dreams. Once that passes, there are some roasty toast porter notes but they're swallowed up by the caramel mess. Thankfully there are hoppy ass beers in the fridge. If you love caramel sweet beers; we're taking Brach's Caramels sitting in fermented malted barley; this is the beer for you.

Does a fine job of keeping Rapapoda at bay, though. <g> (699 characters)

It pours dark brown with a deep red hue. The head is foamy but small with a tan color and nice lace. It has a sweet aroma of caramel covered white bread. The flavor is simple but good with a heavy does of sweet caramel and some toasted malts. The flavor is almost candy like and fades slowly into the finish. Its palate is medium bodied and silky smooth. I always enjoy the caramely sweet flavor of this simple and tasty porter. (428 characters)

A: Nearly impressive head retention and lacing, pretty light in color for a porter with a brown hue with reddish highlights.

S: Smells like a piece of cake, not beer but cake. Very sweet, after a few more sniffs it smells like a thick cream soda and butterscotch. Oh yeah all of this is saturated by caramel and lots of it.

T & M: Smooth and creamy, Id be real disappointed if it was not this way coming from a flavored beer as some dont even try.Cloying sweet, malt sweetness is there but then there is the caramel flavoring that just breaks the palate with sweetness. Hops? They are there but do little and are hard to find. Faint roasted and toasted malt add a mild chocolate flavor that just help the cloying sweetness along. Finishes with a long, long sweet flavor.

Drinkability & Notes: This should be treated as a dessert beer and that is all, this is too damn sweet. I looked for the sweetness knowing what was on the label and it smacked my palate around, it was hard to drink another after this one let alone another beer all together as it ruined my palate with that cloying sweetness and caramel flavor. (1,166 characters)

My first Saranac, from a 2003 "12 beer sampler" box. Pours a dark brown with some hints of red, not as opaque as most porters I've had. Head disappears quickly without significant lacing. Nose is of caramel(no surprise) and a hint of smokiness. Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, but seems somewhat watered down. Taste is sweet malted caramel, not much else. This one is worth sampling for the caramel that dominates from the nose to the finish. Very interesting, certainly, and its faults make it more drinkable for my tastes. Only a slight hops aftertaste which makes for a smooth experience if you can deal with all the caramel. Not at all a bad choice, but definitely different. (679 characters)

Another very mediocre brew from the fine folks at Saranac. Pours dark brown and clear, minimal head/lacing. Nutty caramel nose. Taste is, you guessed it, caramel and sweet. Tastes sort of like a mix between sugary caramel corn and a bottle of miller. There is obviously much better beer out there to be consumed. Saranac seems to be trying to fill the space betwwen BMC and any type of decent craft brew, I'm sure there is pleanty of $$$ to be made in that zone. (462 characters)

Pours a one and a half finger head, a deep mahogany body, very clear as the medium carbing streams bubbles from the bottom which holds the gorgeous tan soapy head for quite a while. Tons of thick frothy lacing clings way up the glass. Smells of bready yeast, touch of caramel, toasted crystal sweet malts, some butter in the smell. The buttery taste is present in the body which I think works with the carmel/roasty/creme brulee flavors. A touch of bitterness in the finish keeps me drinking more. I find this quite drinkable but is a bit too thick and chewy for a session. I love this every year and think this is better than years past.

This is on the sweeter side of things out there and probably explains the overall rating on here. $1.85 a single. I plan to buy a sixer of this and enjoy it for the rest of winter. Its snowing outside right now and this brew makes me warm and fuzzy inside. (897 characters)

Aromas are over-the-top caramel. Not a pleasant aroma. An over-done, nothing else even comes close to making it through caramel funk. I thought a porter was supposed to have something resembling a roasted malt character...not here. Flavor is thin and watery caramel water. That's it. Horridly one-dimensional and not representative of the style. (642 characters)

i knew this beer wasnt going to be great, but i had a lot higher expectations for it. as soon as i opened the bottle it filled the room with an aroma of buttery caramel. it pours a dark clear brown color, that reminds me more of a brown ale than a porter. it had an off white head that faded almost instantly to absolutlely nothing. the aroma was borderline offensive. it had a very fake smelling caramel. and there was a strong buttery smell as well. thats about it. the taste was pretty similar with the strong fake caramel and the butter going on. maybe a hint of roasted malts but not much going on. this beer reminded me nothing of a porter and it was flavored with very artificial caramel that even a non beer enthusiast could easily notice. this was a really pour showing from saranac. i tried tons of their other beers and most of them were ok, but this one really sucked, i had a hard time finishing the six pack. definately do not buy this. (950 characters)

Wow, the reviews for this are all over the place. Consider me in the "liked it" category. Liked it quite a bit, actually. FX Matt knows their malts and this brew is no exception. Dark amber/light brown translucent brew with light tan head that fluffed, then wisped away. First taste is malts, caramel. Some butter in the aroma, and in the near finish. Piney hops are very subtle and caramel sweetness brings this one home. To me, is reminiscent of a baltic porter without the licorice and currant hints. If you like sweet stouts or caramel malts this one is right up your alley. I can understand how others thought this was too sweet and candylike, but for me the lack of bitterness was no problem. (698 characters)

This caramel porter is a nice dark amber color. The head is minimal but lasts. The smell is strong, all that comes through is the caramel. At first taste the caramel is all that the palate can discern. However, the flavor grows, as the brew warms up, and the hops and malts become a bit more discernable. A porter worth giving a try. But be sure to drink this on the warm side. Enjoy. (384 characters)

Clear dark brown, head is reserved and a skim after a minute. Jeez, I can smell caramel two feet away. Completely caramel flavor, overdone and heavy from beginning to end. Sweet, sweet, sweet. The English hops don't stand a chance in the bittering department. I take Porter style seriously and love some crazy experimentation -- but to me, this beer has a CARTOON of a flavor profile. Unbalanced and cloying, choking and gross, its like a swan dive into a cheap liquid candy bar, saccharine and unchanging. (506 characters)

Appearance: Pours deep ruby brown with a nice full tan head sorta chunky textured as well, lacing appears in full patches excellent appearance. Aroma: Robust tones of caramel blended with sweet but slightly harsh dark roasted malts, not too much chocolate but this is one of the best from the Matt Brewing Co. I've had tasted so far. Flavor: Doesn't kill me with over caramel tone but it complements the darker roasts and provides an excellent sweetness that gives it vanilla like tones. Mouthfeel: Not a thick bodied porter medium if that very smooth and silky, great. Drinkability: Couldn't fathom downing these brews in number but for the sheer flavor profile just excellent I would definitely sample again in the future. (724 characters)